The Lightning Riders
by Jae Namkyoung
Summary: A storm unlike any other brings visitors to Storybrooke. Who are they and why have they come are the answers that are sought as Regina, Emma and company investigate. Soon they realize that not everything is as it seems and darker forces are at work. [Most ships either hinted or represented, slight AU]. OutlawQueen, Rumbelle, Captain Swan, and others represented.
1. Prologue: The Mayor

_Thanks to Pinkqueen my beta, I do not own Once Upon a Time or the characters therein, no copyright infringement intended the author will not receive any financial compensation. This is set just before 3x16._

_The fanfiction will contain some SwanQueen hinting, OutlawQueen, CaptainSwan, Rumbelle and other ships. _

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A cool October wind blew through the quaint town of Storybrooke, Maine. All in the town was calm, but on the horizon a storm was brewing. An unholy crackle was heard above, and below the town kept on its course; wholly unaware that there was someone watching, waiting. Soon, the sun bade its farewells and the moon rose giving its greetings. One by one, the town turned off its lights, resting away the day's troubles.

Magic seeped through the town, unnoticed, without a trace; a dark desire to create an unholy abomination, as once again the thunder cracked above, rattling the town's houses, and all but a few of its inhabitants awake. The town's mayor was among the suddenly awake, and felt in her bones that something wasn't right. A streak of lightning flashed before Regina's eyes and touched the ground as she came downstairs and hurried toward the front door.

Rushing out of the house, the mayor was surprised at what she found; on the spot where the lighting struck, instead of a burned-out crater, there were footprints. The brunette raised a brow, her jaw clenched tight as she looked around. With this kind of magic she was familiar. Taking a breath, she turned on her heel, casting a glance left and then right before moving back inside the house. She paced up and down the hall; she paced in her office; she paced all the night. For what would have come through a ride of lightning? Who would want to try and come here?

Regina didn't know, but she became acutely aware that they weren't the only one; as she looked to the sky, lightning began to strike not just once or twice, but thrice more. Four had come to Storybrooke, but why? She did not know, but what the brunette did know was that no one could hide for long, not in her realm, not in her town.


	2. Chapter 1: The Scouts

Thanks to Pinkqueen my beta. No copyright infringement intended, the author will not receive any financial compensation. I do not own Once Upon A Time or its characters.

Half of Storybrooke's inhabitants were gathered in front of the Sheriff's station, now holding four additional people in its cells, as dawn broke over the town. David, now deputized, attempted to calm the masses and convince them to go on with their business, while inside, the Mayor and the Sheriff dealt with the problem at hand.

Emma stared into the two jail cells and then looked over toward Regina. "See, I told you it wouldn't be hard to find them."

"_Pongo_ could find them, Emma." Regina quipped as she rolled her eyes over toward the jail cells. Glancing over her shoulder to ensure the front door was closed, the brunette walked into the bullpen and stood in front of the cells, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Talk," she said pointedly.

The four visitors looked at each other from across their cells. Two in one and two in the other, evenly split by gender and no older than seventeen at most. One of the girls had blonde hair, and hauntingly familiar green eyes that pierced Emma as she waited for one of them to speak up.

The oldest boy it seemed, one with dusty brown hair and the purest of brown for eyes, stood. "There'd be no point in arguing or even trying to convince you of our identities." With a disappointed look he nodded to each of his associates. "My name is Robin and these are my merry men. So to speak," he added when one of the girls cleared her throat pointedly.

Emma cast a somewhat disturbed and confused look toward Regina. "Hate to break it to you kid, but we already have a band of merry men."

"We're not _your_ merry men." A girl with dark black hair, almost resembling a raven, and marvelous hazel eyes spoke. "We're _his_, and more importantly we bear a message."

Another boy with clear blue eyes, and whose hair was a dark enough auburn that it was almost mahogany, withdrew something from his pocket. What seemed like a harmless ring began to glow, then it flung itself behind the Sheriff and the Mayor. A holographic projection of an older Regina, her hair streaked with white, looked toward them, and the wrinkles on her face moved as she spoke.

"I see you have received my scouts," the projection stated without perceivable intent. "Prepare yourselves, for more of our kind will soon arrive. Watch over them, and do not let them perish; they may yet be able to save our realm. For now, all hope has been lost, and we send to you the last of our lines."

The message ended, and after a moment, Regina spoke. "Would someone care to elaborate?" Her voice was cool, not revealing the myriad of emotions that went through her.

"As I said, my name is Robin, and-"

"I want full names first," Emma interrupted, "and who you belong to."

As he bowed, Regina realized who he was. She could see a tattoo on his chest, a lion and a crown, but she had been hoping otherwise. "Robin, Son of Sir Robin Hood of Locksley and Queen Regina."

"Melody," The girl with raven hair said as she introduced herself with a curtsey. "Daughter of Prince Eric and Princess Ariel."

Taking a breath, the boy with clear blue eyes introduced himself. "I am Sir Beau of the White Kingdom, Son of Rumpelstiltskin and Lady Belle."

"Mary Regina, Daughter of Princess Emma and Queen Regina." The blonde girl with the haunting green eyes that Emma now recognized as her own said as she, too, curtseyed. Afterward the girl looked at the stunned faces of the two women in front of her. "You have to let us go, " she begged."Please, we need to send word to our people that it is safe to cross over."

Emma shot Regina a look that told the Queen that they were indeed telling the truth. "Why?" she started. "What's going on that's so bad you were sent here of all places?"

"Queen Regina and Queen Snow issued our party forth via lightning, for-" Beau began to explain before Robin stepped in.

"Our land is dying." He said pointedly. "No need for frivolous information let us be honest with them. After all, we're strangers in their land."

Melody rolled her eyes and looked toward Mary Regina, who then added. "Much like your realm, we came from the Enchanted Forest; one parallel to yours." Pushing her lips to the side she looked up between Emma and Regina. "With one major difference, our Storybrooke had been exposed, people soon started to realize we possessed magic."

"They feared us." Sir Beau chimed.

"So instead of trying to understand, they hunted us down and unfortunately there isn't enough magic to stop an entire invasion force." Melody explained as she looked between each of her comrades.

A painful expression came over Sir Beau. "My father sacrificed his life to ensure we all made it back to the Enchanted Forest." Then his pain turned to rage. "It wasn't enough, they came after us anyway. Greg and Tamara provided our enemies with the beans and soon we found our realm in ruins." His fists balled tightly in his rage, triggered a transformation. Melody reached through the bars and with one hand on his, Beau settled down.

"Bloody mundanes." Mary cursed as she wiped tears from her eyes.

Robin looked toward the faces of his captors. "As you heard from our Queen, we were sent as a scouting party."

"I do have ears." Regina snapped. "What's your point?"

"She found a backdoor." Mary answered. "We can travel through parallel realms, set up counter attacks, and take back our Storybrooke."

Emma took a breath and asked for clarification. "I'm sorry, what's a mundane?"

"It's our term, for those not of our realm." Melody explained. "They have no heart, no belief, and above all no magic."

"So why lightning?" asked Emma.

"Because they're from a parallel realm," The mayor answered. "It was the quickest way to get them here, which means the situation is dire than your Regina had thought." Looking at the sheriff, she nodded. "Let them go. Have Ruby take them to the woods, between the lakes." A quizzical brow from the blonde caused the mayor to huff. "So the little mermaid here has a place to swim."

Melody smiled softly.

With a nod of acknowledgment, Emma did as told, but had questions of her own; she knew they would have to wait, though. As she left with Melody and Beau, she saw Regina pull Mary and Robin aside from the corner of her eye.

Regina waited, arms crossed, until the three of them were alone. "I want the whole story," she demanded. "Now."

Robin and Mary looked between each other and sighed. Mary wanted a fight, but a look from her brother silenced her. "Where should we start?" asked Robin.

"Let's start with you." Regina stated, her words cooled from the moment they left her.

"You wish to know of my origin?" Robin inquired. "Fair enough. My mother Queen Regina found her true love in my father. However, it was not fated to be. He perished soon after my fourth year. She was left to raise me and my brothers, Henry and Roland. My father was among the first to perish after we had been undone."

The Queen then shifted her focus to Mary as Emma re-entered the station, stating that the other two teens were waiting at Granny's. "What about you? I bet you have an interesting origin, what with two mothers," she asked, her brow arched.

"It's pretty simple," Mary explained. "They loved each other." Emma wanted to delve a little deeper, but could tell by her tone that they wouldn't get much more out of her. She was _her_ daughter, all right.

Regina knew the girl was hiding something, though, and wouldn't relent until she knew what that was. "Details, Mary Regina."

"Alright," the younger girl retorted. "Magic."

"Seriously?" The older blonde countered.

"No potions, no spells, and _no_ I was not created out of a curse." Mary stated as part of her explanation. "Just faith, trust and a lot of pixie dust."

Regina's eyes seemed to beam her frustration straight into both Robin and Mary.

"She was created from love." Robin said having tired of his sisters games. "Our Queen Regina and Princess Emma used love, and in a single night, their passions, desires, and hearts become one."

"Their magical energies combined," The younger blonde related. "Add in pixie dust and here I am."

Robin cleared his throat. "Mary, we have business."

"Indeed, brother. Melody and Beau should be ready by now. Let us go." Mary said plainly.

Then with a simple bow from the siblings two, they bid their quick adieus and vanished into puffs of dark purple smoke. Silence settled over the bull pen, as Regina and Emma looked at each other. "They weren't lying," the blonde said in a voice staler than the air around them. "What are we going to do?"

_"You,"_ Regina corrected "are going to keep those four in your sight at all times." Then as she started her march out of the sheriff's station, Regina sneered. "I have an imp to deal with."


End file.
